Afliktor
The Fly
saw Earnie Shavers post this in the SOI reviews thread:
A.V. Club: U2's electronic-heavy Pop deserves more respect for its risk-taking
The fact that someone not on Interference is writing this in 2014 makes me incredibly happy.
I was seriously just thinking that yesterday - how Pop has a totally unique sound I haven't really heard anywhere else. Tons of bands experiment with electronics, U2 included, but Pop's combination of textures and tones creates a different kind of atmosphere.
Which is why the Best Of versions make me sad - the songs themselves are still awesome, but they've taken away the sonic landscape that dominates Pop and makes it stand out.
obv she meant Vertigo, and this makes me sad. I have a feeling we won't get any Pop songs on SOI tour, either, as U2 have an ever-increasing amount of staples.
If only iTunes had been around in 1997. The concept of U2 in your junk mail would have fit ZooTV/Popmart U2 perfectly, and so many more people would have heard and liked this album. Honestly I think you could play Pop for someone who "hates" U2, not tell them who the artist is, and they wouldn't recognize it as U2 (unless they have a good ear for Bono's voice). but for people who are familiar with their work, it still has that special something that only U2 can bring.
Pop was the album that got me into U2, and while it's adored here, I'm not sure I've met anyone in real life who has even heard of Pop (except for the dumb kid in third grade who told me "Oh I had that CD but I threw it away." what kind of entitled little brat are you anyway). even when U2's albums were all charting, Pop was in last. so that's why it's so exciting to see this AV Club article... maybe it'll inspire someone to give Pop a chance.
A.V. Club: U2's electronic-heavy Pop deserves more respect for its risk-taking
The fact that someone not on Interference is writing this in 2014 makes me incredibly happy.
This friction between U2’s inherent beauty and more aggressive tendencies disfigured its sound in interesting ways, giving Pop a unique timbre.
I was seriously just thinking that yesterday - how Pop has a totally unique sound I haven't really heard anywhere else. Tons of bands experiment with electronics, U2 included, but Pop's combination of textures and tones creates a different kind of atmosphere.
The band wasn’t using technology to prop up subpar tunes; it worked with a solid musical foundation and merely sculpted interesting sounds and textures around and on it.
Which is why the Best Of versions make me sad - the songs themselves are still awesome, but they've taken away the sonic landscape that dominates Pop and makes it stand out.
During the band’s last two major tours (Elevation and 360°), the only song from Pop played in its entirety was “Discothèque”—a whopping two times.
obv she meant Vertigo, and this makes me sad. I have a feeling we won't get any Pop songs on SOI tour, either, as U2 have an ever-increasing amount of staples.
If only iTunes had been around in 1997. The concept of U2 in your junk mail would have fit ZooTV/Popmart U2 perfectly, and so many more people would have heard and liked this album. Honestly I think you could play Pop for someone who "hates" U2, not tell them who the artist is, and they wouldn't recognize it as U2 (unless they have a good ear for Bono's voice). but for people who are familiar with their work, it still has that special something that only U2 can bring.
Pop was the album that got me into U2, and while it's adored here, I'm not sure I've met anyone in real life who has even heard of Pop (except for the dumb kid in third grade who told me "Oh I had that CD but I threw it away." what kind of entitled little brat are you anyway). even when U2's albums were all charting, Pop was in last. so that's why it's so exciting to see this AV Club article... maybe it'll inspire someone to give Pop a chance.